Life in Florence and a trip to Siena

I finally feel like I'm starting to find my place in Florence. At first I was just adjusting to living on my own in a foreign city and getting around. I feel more confident ordering food, interacting with the locals and finding my way around the city. Classes have really started and I'm getting much busier.

After trying out all the classes for the first week, I decided that I'm happy with my choices of art history, painting, photography, history of fashion and Italian language. I have already had to complete 2 paintings which was very difficult for me since I am a true beginner. I'm looking forward to learning more techniques and hopefully coming home with a painting I'm proud of. My photography class is also really cool because we learn how to use our own camera better. Most of the classes consist of us taking pictures all around Florence.

I'm also learning more about the incredible art that surrounds me. I finally made it to the Uffizi Gallery, one of the oldest art museums in the world. The museum is huge and my roommates and I only made it through about half of the galleries. I have a museum pass through my school so I can visit as many times as I would like. I loved seeing works of art that were created centuries ago. It was an unbelievable feeling to look at a painting that had been in that same museum since the early 1600's. The ceilings of the Uffizi were also one of the most remarkable parts of the museum. I wish I could have taken pictures although I'm sure they would not have shown the true beauty.

I also went to the Santa Croce church for my art history class. It was great to have my teacher show us around since he knows so much about the history, architecture and artworks of the Santa Croce. Unfortunately there was a lot of construction going on in the church for restoration but I still saw the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo.

This past weekend my school offered a day trip to Siena and San Gimignano. In Siena we went to the church of St. Catherine and saw her real head! It is a relic that people come to worship and has been preserved since the 1300's. It was a little creepy but still really cool. We also went to the Duomo in Siena which is one of the most beautiful places that I have seen. It amazes me that something that intricate was built so long ago without modern technology. It shows how much the people cared about beauty and detail. After lunch in Siena, we went to San Gimignano, a smaller medieval town in the Tuscan region. It was pouring rain when we arrived but cleared quickly. We walked to the top of the town to a lookout point with an incredible view of all of Tuscany. Even though it was overcast and drizzling, the scenery was beautiful. I cannot imagine what it will look like when everything is in full bloom on a sunny day.

I really love living in Florence. Almost everyone I have met has been very kind and wants to help my friends and me. All the stores are having sales right now so I usually hit up the shops every few days. I haven't bought too much because I'm saving my money for traveling. Although I will need a leather jacket and leather boots if I really want to fit in with the Italians. It has even been fun to cook for myself. I did not know it was possible to survive without a microwave! We don't have a dryer either so I learned that line drying takes a few days and I have to plan my laundry schedule ahead of time.

I'm going to Venice next Sunday for the Carnival parade. I'm sure it will be an experience and I'll write more about it as soon as I can. After that I'm traveling every weekend until the middle of March. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Italy and Europe!

So far

I arrived in Italy on Wednesday, January 13th with Allyce, a friend from home. After a long day of traveling from Chicago to Zurich and Zurich to Florence, I arrived at the airport to find one of my suitcases was lost along the way. It ended up taking a few hours to wait in line to report the bag lost since almost everyone on the flight had lost luggage. Luckily my bag was delivered to me safely the next day.

Once we got to our apartment in the center of Florence, Allyce and I were surprised to meet our 6 other roommates. The apartment is huge! It is 2 stories with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 kitchens and 3 living spaces for the 8 of us girls. The apartment is always freezing because the energy use is government regulated. We only get heat for 6 hours a day. Our apartment is in a great location: about 5 minutes from the Duomo and about 10 from the river. There are tons of restaurants and shops all around us.

So far most of our time has been spent exploring Florence. A lot of that time has included us getting lost and finding our way back home again. The walk to school is about 15 minutes and I cross over the Ponte Vecchio, a beautiful, old bridge.

I started classes last week and I'm looking forward to them. I have Italian everyday for 2 hours which is necessary since I do not know any Italian. I also have painting, photography, history of fashion and Renaissance art history. I'm really excited about Renaissance art history because we go to museums and places around Florence every class. I already learned so much on the first day of class about the places that I walk by everyday.

Last Sunday our school took us on a trip to the Tuscan countryside. We stopped in 3 cute little towns. Unfortunately I cannot remember the names of any of them. The countryside is beautiful! We had coffee in one of the towns and then went to a vineyard for lunch and wine tasting in another town. We got a tour of a castle on the estate and saw the wine cellar in the basement. I was exhausted after a long day but I loved seeing more of Tuscany.

My roommates and I also went to a soccer game in Florence. It was only 6 Euro to see the Fiorentina Futbol team and the game was so much fun. The Florentines are very passionate about soccer! There was purple everywhere and the crowds were crazy. The entire game people waved flags, chanted and sang songs. I'm going to have to learn the words before the next game. I even bought one of the cool soccer scarfs! It was a fun game, especially when Fiorentina won!

I love living in Florence. The city is small enough that I can walk everywhere. Most of the people that I met have been really nice. It's been a little difficult to communicate but almost everyone speaks English. When people don't speak English I can usually get by combining the few Italian words I know, French, English and a lot of hand gestures.

The food here is amazing. Don't be surprised when I come back 30 pounds heavier because the bread, oil, pizza and pasta are delicious. My roommates and I accidentally ordered a 40 Euro steak one of our first nights out. We are learning that some food is priced by the milligram and hopefully that won't happen again. The gelato is also so good and is a great energy booster when I'm tired of walking by the end of the day.

I'm adjusting very well and I can't wait to see more of Italy and Florence. I miss home but I'm so happy to be here. I'll write more soon!